Ukrainian drones have struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries, sparking a fire, Russian officials and Ukraine’s military said Sunday.
The overnight strike on the Kirishi refinery, in Russia’s northwestern Leningrad region, follows weeks of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure that Kyiv says fuels Moscow’s war effort.
Gasoline shortages As of Sunday afternoon, Russian officials offered no further comment on the consequences of the strike, and it wasn’t immediately possible to verify these.
Ukrainian drones previously targeted the Kirishi refinery in March, causing minor damage, according to social media posts published at the time by Drozdenko.
Russian officials didn’t immediately comment on who they thought might be behind the alleged attacks.
Russian officials and Ukraine’s military reported Sunday that Ukrainian drones had hit one of Russia’s biggest oil refineries, causing a fire.
The overnight attack on the Kirishi refinery in the northwest Russian region of Leningrad comes after weeks of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, which Kyiv claims support Moscow’s war effort.
READ MORE: Trump urges NATO nations to remove their purchases of Russian oil and impose tariffs on China.
The facility, run by the Russian company Surgutneftegas, is among Russia’s top three producers of crude oil, producing nearly 13.7 million metric tons annually (355,000 barrels per day).
Drones remain a vital weapon for both sides more than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NATO dispatched fighter jets to shoot down several Russian drones that entered Poland on Wednesday, highlighting long-standing worries that the conflict might spread outside of Ukraine.
A fire and explosions were reported at the Kirishi refinery, according to the General Staff of Ukraine. It shared a picture that seemed to depict a fire and smoke clouds against a night sky.
Regional Gov. In the Kirishi area, three drones were shot down overnight, according to Alexander Drozdenko, and the facility caught fire as a result of falling debris. He reported that the fire had been extinguished and that no one had been hurt.
shortages of gasoline.
It was not immediately possible to confirm these, and as of Sunday afternoon, Russian officials had not provided any additional comments regarding the strike’s effects. Overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that at least 80 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russia, the occupied Crimean Peninsula, and the nearby Sea of Azov.
Drozdenko posted on social media at the time that Ukrainian drones had previously targeted the Kirishi refinery in March, causing minor damage.
Despite a seasonal increase in demand and ongoing Ukrainian drone strikes, Russia is still the world’s second-largest oil exporter, but in recent weeks, there have been shortages of gasoline. Some parts of the nation have run out of gas stations, leaving drivers in long lines and forcing authorities to ration or stop selling.
Russian officials announced a complete ban on gasoline exports until September in an attempt to alleviate the shortage. 30 and a temporary prohibition that will impact traders and middlemen through October. 30.
incidents on Russian railways.
A diesel locomotive derailed overnight in the Leningrad region as well, according to local Gov. This Sunday, Drozdenko said. He claimed that the incident happened south of St. Petersburg. The Russian No. The city, which was formerly known as Leningrad in the Soviet era, is encircled by the same-named region but is not a part of it.
According to Drozdenko, the driver of the locomotive was confined to his cabin and subsequently passed away from his wounds while being taken to a hospital. He added that an official inquiry would look for indications of sabotage.
As for the Oryol region of Russia, the local governor reported that three people had been killed by a bomb planted along railroad lines. Andrey Klychkov. He claimed that victims had been examining the track and had recognized one as a Russian National Guard member.
Klychkov’s posts from late Saturday and Sunday indicate that the incident took place close to the town of Maloarkhangelsk, which is roughly 200 kilometers (120 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The reason behind it was not immediately addressed by Russian officials.
Cyberattacks taint the Russian election.
In other news, the head of Russia’s main electoral body told reporters that it and the country’s electronic voting system were being hit by a significant number of cyberattacks as some Russians went to the polls on Sunday to choose local governors and deputies.
Although the Central Election Commission’s Ella Pamfilova stated that “an unprecedented attack is underway” on its digital systems, she reassured the public that the results would not be impacted.
For the majority of Sunday, when 21 of Russia’s more than 80 regions were scheduled to elect new governors, the commission’s website seemed to be unavailable. There was also competition for seats in almost a dozen regional assemblies and other municipal bodies.
However, after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February and a subsequent crackdown on dissent, few anticipated a serious challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party and its supporters. 24/2022.
According to Alexander Izhko of Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media and digital watchdog, nearly 100 denial-of-service attacks were detected on Sunday on websites associated with the elections. On Sunday, Izhko gave a speech at a press conference. In a denial-of-service attack, a website is overloaded with data in an attempt to take it down.
Regarding the potential perpetrators of the alleged attacks, Russian officials refrained from commenting right away.
